According to Abu Aita and the Martyrs Brigade, Abu Aita is not a member of the organisation, although he reportedly has had links in the past. He is a political representative for the Fatah party in Bethlehem and a board member of the Holy Land Trust, a non-governmental organisation promoting Palestinian rights with a commitment to non violence. (more…)

Only 13% of the Bethlehem area is under the control of the Palestinian Authority – a new report released by the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Thursday said. (more…)

In Nu’man, one of the villages the UN says is “living in limbo”, the situation is particularly dire. The village is surrounded on three sides by Israel’s West Bank barrier and on another by the Israeli settlement of Har Homa. The village entrance is blocked by an Israeli checkpoint to anyone other than Nu’man residents. Permits are not given for new homes in the village, and the younger generation is being forced out. Israel annexed Nu’man to Jerusalem after the 1967 war, but never gave its people Jerusalem residency. (more…)

The outdoor theater is being built next to the wall for the pope’s visit to Aida camp May 13. The Palestinians say they chose the spot to highlight life under Israeli military occupation.

However, the Israeli government has ordered the construction to stop, saying camp organizers lack the necessary permits and that the theater’s proximity to the wall poses a security risk. (more…)